Southern Baptists use plants to fight malaria in Africa

The Baptist Global Response (BGR) has spent the last year using plants to bring treatment to some of the most malaria stricken parts of the Horn of Africa.

In the last year BGR has distributed over 2,500 Artemisia plants to 800 farmers and their families, giving access to treatment for malaria to around 10,000 people. The use of the plant to treat fevers originated over 17 centuries ago in ancient China.

People living in the Horn of Africa are particularly vulnerable to malaria according to William Arnold (real name changed for security reasons), a field partner to BGR.

He says, "This area [of the Horn of Africa] has a population of more than 4 million people and one of the highest incidence rates of malaria in the whole country,"

"Because the area is so rural, 60 percent of the population is a least a half-day's walk from the nearest health post or clinic."

By distributing the Artemisia plants BGR said it had managed to provide an inexpensive and easily available treatment for malaria, as well as a host of other ailments such as worms, amoebas, wounds, headaches and asthma.

Abraham Shepherd with BGR missionaries said that by providing the plants to local farmers, missionaries had even greater opportunities to spread the gospel.

He said, "[It's] what I call proclamation by demonstration, really...[i]t gives [the missionary] ample opportunity to share with these people and to love them," reports One News Now.

BGR is a Southern Baptist ministry.